Pakistan

RAWALPINDI: The Pakistan Meteoro­lo­gical Department (PMD) has forecast another spell of rain in the northern parts of the country, making it a wet weekend from Saturday night to Monday morning, while the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) has asked provincial and district authorities to make necessary arrangements. The department has predicted that a westerly wave was likely to approach the northwestern parts of the country on the evening of March 14 and likely to persist until the morning of March 16. Under the influence of this weather system, partly cloudy to cloudy weather conditions with chances of moderate rain, wind and thunderstorms, along with snowfall over high mountains (with isolated hailstorms), are expected in the districts of Chitral, Dir, Swat, Kohistan, Shangla, Battgram, Buner, Malakand, Mansehra, Abbottabad, Haripur, Khyber, Mohmand, Peshawar, Bannu, Swabi, Mardan, Charsadda, Nowshera, Bajaur, Orakzai, Kurram, Kohat, Hangu, D.I. Khan, Zhob, Barkhan, Chaman, Ziarat, Gilgit-Baltis...

• Court orders prompt handover of bodies to Iranian embassy following autopsies in Galle • Chartered flight transports sealed boxes from Mattala airport to Iran • Colombo still holds over 250 crewmen from second ship; faces Washington’s pressure to halt repatriation COLOMBO: Sri Lanka on Friday repatriated the remains of 84 Iranian sailors killed when their warship was sunk by a US submarine nine days earlier, an attack that extended the raging Middle East conflict to the Indian Ocean, officials said. The seamen were killed when the frigate IRIS Dena was torpedoed on March 4 just off Sri Lanka’s coast. The incident occurred while the vessel was returning from a naval exercise in India amid a wider US-Israeli war on Iran. An Iranian-chartered Airbus A340 transported the bodies from Mattala International Airport in the island’s south, according to an airport official who requested anonymity because he was not authorised to speak to the media. The flight’s destination was not disclosed. “The departure was delaye...

ISLAMABAD: The United Nations refugee agency has said that between 600,000 and one million Iranian households have been temporarily displaced inside Iran as a result of US-Israeli war against the country. The UNHCR’s preliminary assessments represent displacement of up to 3.2 million people, and this figure is likely to continue rising as US-Israeli bombing persists, marking a worrying escalation in humanitarian needs, according to Ayaki Ito, UNHCR Director of Emergency and Programme Support and Cross-Regional Refugee Response Coordinator for the Middle East Emergency. Most of the displaced persons are reportedly fleeing from Tehran and other major urban areas towards the north of the country and rural areas to seek safety. Also affected are Afghan refugee families, who are particularly vulnerable, given their already precarious situation and limited support networks. Families are leaving affected areas amid rising insecurity and limited access to essential services, the UN agency said. With its longstanding ...

ISLAMABAD: Warning the federal government against what it described as “criminal negligence” in former prime minister Imr­an Khan’s medical care, the PTI has hinted at lau­n­ching a massive movement for his release after Eid. At a press conference on Friday, PTI leaders reiterated their demand for Mr Khan’s immediate transfer to Shifa International Hospital, saying that any further delay could have serious consequences. They said the party had made every possible effort to secure appropriate medical care for the PTI founder, but the government had repeatedly rejected these requests. Flanked by senior party leaders, Khyber Pakh­tunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi warned that the party would not tolerate such behaviour, adding that the PTI was fully prepared to launch a massive movement for its founder’s release. He reminded the PML-N-led ruling coalition in the Centre that his party had “temporarily slowed its political activities out of respect for the holy month of Ramazan”. He declared that the party’s pre...

KARACHI: The Pakistan Medical Association (PMA) raised on Friday an urgent national alarm over the severe and persistent shortage of essential paediatric tuberculosis (TB) medications, warning that the situation could lead to a “catastrophic surge” in drug-resistant tuberculosis in the most vulnerable population. Citing reports from healthcare facilities across the country, the association stated that they indicate “a near-total depletion” of first-line paediatric TB drugs, signalling a complete breakdown in the mandate of National TB Programme (NTP) in ensuring the availability of life-saving treatment. “As the country with the fifth-highest TB burden globally, Pakistan stands on the precipice of a man-made disaster. The systematic collapse of TB control programme is not merely an administrative issue. It’s a staggering failure of the programme and a medical emergency, threatening the lives of our children,” stated the association. Highlighting the adverse effects of persistent shortage of TB medicines, the ...

Govt proposes LNG savings, dividends and fuel levy to clear Rs1.5tr circular debt

Party leaders likely to meet PM Shehbaz in coming days

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Expresses concern over health condition of jailed ex-PM

Claim their margin dropped to 2.68% due to rising oil prices

Says such punishment maintains balance and sets an example for others

BAJAUR: A policeman was found dead in the War Mamund tehsil of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Bajaur district on Friday, a day after he was abducted near the Dama Dola area, officials said. Bajaur district police spokesperson Israr Khan told Dawn that the 54-year-old Shah Munir Khan, who was on leave, was heading home with his family to the Badan locality on Thursday evening when unidentified armed men approached his vehicle, pulled him out, and took him to an unknown location, where he was later shot dead. He also dismissed reports that Munir was abducted from the Badan police station. Later, Bajaur Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Niaz Muhammad also confirmed while speaking to the media that a police team, which included senior officers, had found Munir’s body. Law enforcement personnel have increasingly come under attack in KP in recent weeks. Last week, a police officer was martyred after unidentified terrorists opened fire on a police post in War Mamund. In February, four cops were martyred, and two others we...

Explosions rock Tehran as Iranian top leadership attends Quds Day rally; IRGC says targeted Abraham Lincoln

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Two drones neutralised near Rawalpindi

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PESHAWAR: The Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) killed six terrorists during an intelligence-based operation (IBO) in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Lakki Marwat on Friday, according to a press release issued by the CTD. The press release said the operation was carried out in the Shagai area within the limits of the Gambila police station on the reported presence of terrorists there. It added that the terrorists opened fire on the CTD team as they approached their location, following which the law enforcers fired in retaliation. The firing continued for around 40 minutes, the press release said, adding that six terrorists were found dead in the ensuing search operation. The press release said the process of identifying the slain terrorists was under way, following which action would be taken against their facilitators and associates. Four Kalashnikovs with magazines and ammunition, two 9mm pistols, eight hand grenades and an improvised explosive device was found in the possession of the terrorist, the press release ad...

The news brings total number of US refuelling planes damaged or destroyed to seven

KARACHI/ ISLAMABAD: Several routes in Karachi and Islamabad were closed on Friday as part of security arrangements for Al-Quds Day rallies. Al-Quds Day is observed globally every year since it was first announced by Iranian revolutionary leader Ayatollah Khomeini. The day is observed on the last Friday of Ramazan to highlight the “atrocities of Israel against Palestinians”. However, with the possibility of Eidul Fitr falling on next Friday if the Shawwal moon is sighted on March 19, the Al-Quds Day is being observed today. Karachi In a statement issued by the Office of the Karachi traffic deputy inspector general of police, citizens were informed that a religious group would organise a “Youm-i-Quds Rally” after Friday prayers, marching from Numaish to Aman Tower. Accordingly, the road from Boat Basin towards Jinnah Bridge remained during the day closed. The road from PIDC going towards Jinnah Bridge on M.T. Khan Road was closed in both directions. Traffic police said, “the closures were being implemented as p...